Russian girl names carry a lot of history in very few syllables. Saints, empresses, poets, and Olympic champions all turn up in the list below, and several of these names have already settled into American classrooms. In 2025 U.S. birth data, Valentina ranked 35th among girls, Mila 43rd, Iris 61st, and Maya 62nd (1).
Others here are so uncommon in the United States that the federal data will not print a rank at all. A name has to be given to at least five babies of the same sex in one year before it appears, which is why entries like Praskovia and Yevdokiya show no American number.
It helps to know how the full name works, too. A Russian girl carries a given name, a patronymic built from her father’s first name with the feminine ending -ovna or -evna, and a surname that also turns feminine, so Ivanov becomes Ivanova (2). Each of the 100 names ahead comes with its meaning, origin, pronunciation, namesakes, and where it stands in U.S. records right now.
Popularity at a Glance
The most popular names on this list in the United States, 1965 to 2025: Valentina, Mila, Iris, Maya and Alina.
100 Popular Russian Names for Girls
Explore the coolest Russian girl names for your young Tzarina to enjoy.
Agata
Agata goes back to the Greek Agathe, the feminine of agathos, meaning good. St. Agatha of Sicily, a 3rd-century Christian martyr, carried the same name and kept it in use across centuries of church calendars. The Slavic spelling keeps the hard g that softer forms lose, so it lands with a little more weight.
- Origin: Russian, Slavic
- Meaning: Good, virtuous
- Pronunciation: AA-gaa-Taa
- Variations: Agate, Agatha
- Namesakes: Agata Korc, a Polish swimmer who competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Agata Buzek, a Polish actress and winner of the Polish Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2003.
- Popularity: In U.S. birth data Agata ranked 8,377th in 2025, off a 1920 high of 3,963rd.
Agniya
Agniya reaches back to the Greek hagnos, meaning sacred, and also carries the senses of chaste and hunger, making it the particularly Russian answer to Agnes, a name passed down through saints and storytellers alike. Short and clean, it is almost never heard on an American playground.
- Origin: Russian, Hebrew
- Meaning: Pure
- Pronunciation: AEG-nih-YaH
- Variations: Agnia
- Namesakes: Agniya Barto, a Soviet writer awarded the 1949 Stalin Prize for Poetry for Children. Agniya Desnitskayae, a Soviet-Russian linguist who wrote “History of Albanian Literature” (1987).
- Popularity: No U.S. ranking exists for Agniya. Federal birth data starts counting at five babies a year, and this one stays under that line.
Agrafena
Agrafena descends from the Greek Agrippas, built from agra, meaning hunting, and pous, meaning foot. That combination is usually read as born feet first. Some readings soften it to birth with effort, which parents facing a long labor tend to appreciate. It is a formal, old-fashioned choice with plenty of syllables to grow into.
- Origin: Russian, Greek
- Meaning: Born feet first
- Pronunciation: Ah-grah-FIY-Naa
- Variations: Agrafina
- Namesakes: Agrafena Kryukova, a Russian folklore storyteller of 64 recordings in 1901.
- Popularity: Agrafena sits below the five-births-a-year cutoff the U.S. uses before it will publish a name, so there is no American ranking to quote.
Akilina
Akilina is the Russian spelling of Aquilina, a name built on the idea of an eagle, carried by a 3rd-century saint from Lebanon whose story is how it traveled into Orthodox naming traditions. Among Russian women’s names it is one of the least heard, so a daughter would likely be the only one she ever meets.
- Origin: Russian
- Meaning: Eagle
- Pronunciation: Ah-kiy-LIY-Naa
- Variations: Aquilina
- Namesakes: Akilina Laptinskaya, a Russian follower of Rasputin and his secretary.
- Popularity: Too rare for U.S. federal name records, which print a rank only once at least five girls receive a name in the same year.
Aleksandra
Aleksandra is the Russian form of the Greek Alexandros, made from alexein, meaning defend, and andros, meaning man. Spelled Alexandra, it also served as a title for the goddess Hera. The k gives it an unmistakably Slavic look. Every familiar nickname, from Sasha to Alex, still comes standard.
- Origin: Russian
- Meaning: Defender of man
- Pronunciation: Ah-lehk-SAAN-Draa
- Variations: Alexandra, Alyxandra
- Namesakes: Aleksandra Crnčević, a Serbian volleyball player with the Serbia women’s national volleyball team. Aleksandra Dimitrova, a Russian chess player and FIDE Woman International Master.
- Popularity: In U.S. birth data Aleksandra ranked 3,297th in 2025, off a 2007 high of 1,736th.
Alina
Alina comes down from Adelina, meaning little noble one, and may also stem from the German Aline, a short form of Adelaide. Two syllables, soft consonants, and no spelling arguments at the pediatrician’s office. Say it Ah-LIY-Naa, with an easy rhythm from the first syllable to the last. Ukrainian artistic gymnast Alina Kozich competed under the name at the 2004 Summer Olympics, and French writer Alina Reyes put it on the cover of The Butcher. The name reads as easily on a toddler as it will on a grown woman.
- Origin: Russian, Slavic
- Meaning: Bright, beautiful
- Pronunciation: Ah-LIY-Naa
- Variations: Aleena, Alinah, Alinna
- Namesakes: Alina Kozich, a Ukrainian artistic gymnast who competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Alina Reyes, a French writer of The Butcher.
- Popularity: U.S. birth data has Alina at its own high right now, ranked 130th in 2025.
Alisa
Alisa is the Russian answer to Alice, picking up extra meanings along the way: of a noble kind in French and gentle in Armenian, and it is equally at home in Finland and Estonia. It reads modern without feeling invented, which is a hard balance for a name to strike.
- Origin: Russian, Hebrew
- Meaning: Great happiness, joy
- Pronunciation: Ah-LIY-Saa
- Variations: Alissa, Alisah
- Namesakes: Alisa Bellettini, an American TV producer who created the MTV series House of Style in 1989. Alisa Kirilyuk, a Russian sailor, placed 13th at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
- Popularity: Alisa ranked 1,654th for U.S. girls in 2025, well below the 261st it reached in 1969.
Anastasia
Anastasia rests on the Greek anastasis, meaning resurrection. It was the standard top choice for Russian girls until 2008. Greek families often saved it for daughters born in December or at Easter, which suits the meaning. It is long and formal on paper. Nastya, Stasia, and Ana all come already built in for daily use.
- Origin: Russian, Greek
- Meaning: Resurrection
- Pronunciation: Aeh-nah-STAHS-Yah
- Variations: Anastasija, Anastassya
- Namesakes: Anastasia Motaung, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa from 2019 until 2022. Anastasia Soare, a Romanian-American businesswoman, ranked the 6th-richest person in Romania by Forbes in 2022.
- Popularity: U.S. records first list Anastasia in 1880 and rank it 163rd in 2025, with a peak of 147th in 2018.
Anika
Anika turns up almost everywhere, from Russia and Germany to Hawaii, working as a Scandinavian form of Ann and, in Sanskrit, carrying fearless or soldier. Parents drawn to unique girl names like how familiar it sounds without being common.
- Origin: Russian, Arab
- Meaning: Grace
- Pronunciation: AEN-iy-Kaa
- Variations: Annika
- Namesakes: Anika Bozicevic, a Swedish footballer for the Sweden women’s national football team. Anika Taher, a Bangladeshi model, crowned Miss Bangladesh 1994.
- Popularity: In U.S. birth data Anika ranked 955th in 2025, off a 2004 high of 479th.
Anoushka
Anoushka is one of several Russian pet forms of Anna, dressed up with an extra flourish. Its resemblance to the Indian Anushka helped it travel into upper-class British households. It also carries the sense of princess. That may be why, dressed up or not, it never quite sounds casual.
- Origin: Russian
- Meaning: Grace
- Pronunciation: Ah-NUWS-Kaa
- Variations: Anouska, Anuschka, Annushka
- Namesakes: Anoushka Schut-Welkzijn, a Dutch politician and MP between 2012 and 2017. Vartanoush Selim (known as Anoushka), an Egyptian singer awarded by the Egyptian Minister of Tourism for promoting Egyptian music.
- Popularity: Anoushka last showed up in U.S. birth data in 2024, at 12,281st, after peaking at 2,968th in 2009. Measured over the last 10 years of births against the 10 before them, it is the steepest faller here, down about 71 percent.
Anya
Anya means grace, like the other Russian forms of Anna. It ties back to the Hebrew Anne and Hannah, also read as merciful and favored by God. In Hungarian, the same word means mother. Two syllables, easy to spell, and it works from the nursery through a nameplate on a door.
- Origin: Russian
- Meaning: Grace
- Pronunciation: AE-Nyaa
- Variations: Aniya, Aniyah, Anja
- Namesakes: Anya Kamenetz, an American writer and correspondent for NPR. Anya Taylor-Joy, an English actress known for The Witch (2015).
- Popularity: Anya ranked 375th for U.S. girls in 2025, well below the 363rd it reached in 2009.
Arina
Arina is a cooler, less expected route to the Russian Irina, carrying the sense of woman of peace; in Greek mythology its counterpart is Irene, the goddess of peace herself. The name has the calm it promises. Say it Ah-RIY-Nah, with the stress landing on the middle syllable. Belarusian judoka Arina Kachan carried it to a win at the 2014 IBSA World Judo Championships, and Japanese manga artist Arina Tanemura put it on the cover of The Style of the Second Love. It still reads as fresh next to the more common Irina.
- Origin: Russian, Greek
- Meaning: Peace
- Pronunciation: Ah-RIY-Nah
- Namesakes: Arina Kachan, a Belarusian judoka and winner at the 2014 IBSA World Judo Championships. Arina Tanemura, a Japanese manga artist for The Style of the Second Love (1996).
- Popularity: U.S. records first list Arina in 1980 and rank it 2,654th in 2025, with a peak of 2,286th in 2017.
Borislava
Borislava is the feminine of Borislav, largely at home in Bulgaria. It is built from boru, meaning fight, and slav, meaning glory. Together the two roots read as famous battle. Four syllables of pure Slavic ceremony that read as formal as the meaning behind them.
- Origin: Russian, Slavic
- Meaning: Battle glory
- Pronunciation: Boh-riy-SLAA-Vaa
- Namesakes: Borislava Borisova, a Bulgarian-Swedish chess player and winner of the Bulgarian Women’s Chess Championship (1976). Borislava Kireva, a Bulgarian footballer for FC NSA Sofia.
- Popularity: Too rare for U.S. federal name records, which print a rank only once at least five girls receive a name in the same year.
Calina
Calina carries a small pile of meanings depending on where you stand: a street or path in Greek, the viburnum tree in Russian, and haze in Spanish. Inside Russia the name usually appears as Kalina, so the C spelling reads as the softer, more international one.
- Origin: Russian
- Meaning: Love and affection
- Pronunciation: Kah-LIYN-ah
- Variations: Kalina, Calinda
- Popularity: American parents put Calina at 4,678th in 2025; its best year on record was 2018, at 3,797th.
Czarina
Czarina is the feminine of Czar, the title Russian rulers borrowed from Caesar. It lands squarely on empress. It was reserved for the woman on the throne, which makes it a bold thing to hand a newborn. Anyone who wants royalty spelled out in the name itself will not find a more direct option on this list.
- Origin: Russian
- Meaning: Female ruler
- Pronunciation: Zah-RIY-nah
- Namesakes: Czarina Arevalo, a Filipino tennis player with the Philippines Fed Cup team from 2000 to 2008.
- Popularity: Czarina last showed up in U.S. birth data in 2024, at 8,567th, after peaking at 5,973rd in 1999.
Daria
Daria is the feminine of the Persian Darius, meaning possess well, and in Russian it also carries the sense of the sea, a name Tolstoy gave, spelled Darya, to a character in Anna Karenina. Either spelling keeps the same three-syllable rhythm and the same regal edge.
- Origin: Russian, Persian
- Meaning: Kingly
- Pronunciation: DAAR-iy-Ah
- Variations: Darria, Dariah, Darya
- Namesakes: Daria Dolan, an American TV anchor for Dolans Unscripted on CNN. Daria Zuravicki, an American figure skater and the 2001/2002 Israeli national champion.
- Popularity: U.S. records first list Daria in 1915 and rank it 1,858th in 2025, with a peak of 741st in 1998.
Diana
Diana is the Roman name for the moon goddess the Greeks called Artemis, patron of the hunt and the wild. It has never really left circulation in English, Russian, or Romance languages. Princess Diana kept it firmly in the modern ear as well. That kind of staying power is rare, and it means nobody will ever ask a Diana to spell it.
- Origin: Russian, Greek
- Meaning: Divine
- Pronunciation: Day-IN-ah
- Variations: Dianah, Dianna
- Namesakes: Diana Rigg, an English actress known for The Avengers (1965 to 1968). Diana Vreeland, a French-American editor-in-chief at Vogue.
- Popularity: In U.S. birth data Diana ranked 244th in 2025, off a 1946 high of 42nd.
Dina
Dina rests on the Hebrew diynah, meaning judgment, and appears in the Bible as Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, one of the Israeli patriarchs. It crosses languages without alteration, which makes it an easy name to carry abroad. Say it DIY-nah, a clean two syllables with nothing to trip over. Swedish opera singer Dina Edling carried it into the Royal Swedish Academy of Music, and Russian singer Dina Garipova wore it to a win on Golos, the Russian version of The Voice, in 2012. Dinah, Dena, and Deena all sit close enough to swap in without losing the sound.
- Origin: Russian, Hebrew
- Meaning: Judgment
- Pronunciation: DIY-nah
- Variations: Dinah, Dena, Deena
- Namesakes: Dina Edling, a Swedish opera singer and member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. Dina Garipova, a Russian singer who won the Russian version of The Voice, Golos, in 2012.
- Popularity: American parents put Dina at 1,327th in 2025; its best year on record was 1969, at 199th.
Dominika
Dominika is a feminine form of the Latin Domina, meaning noble lady. It marks a daughter born on Sunday. The related dominicus meant sovereign and was used for emperors after Augustus Caesar. It carries formality easily, matching the weight of names built for special occasions.
- Origin: Russian, Latin
- Meaning: Born on Sunday
- Pronunciation: Dao-miy-NIY-Kaa
- Variations: Domenica, Domenika
- Namesakes: Dominika Dery (also Dominika Furmanová), a Czech writer of The Twelve Little Cakes (2004). Dominika Piątkowska, a Polish pair skater and 2007 Polish national champion.
- Popularity: Dominika last showed up in U.S. birth data in 2024, at 11,373rd, after peaking at 4,157th in 1997.
Doroteya
Doroteya is the Russian spelling of Dorotea, made from doron, meaning gift, and theos, meaning divine. Two saints carried the name, including the 4th-century martyr Dorothea of Caesarea. For parents who like Dorothy’s meaning but not its mid-century associations, this spelling solves the problem. It carries the same warmth with a fresher sound.
- Origin: Russian, Slavic
- Meaning: God’s gift
- Pronunciation: Doh-row-TIY-ah
- Variations: Dorotea, Dorothea
- Namesakes: Doroteya Toleva, a Russian-American actress appearing in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning – Part One (2023).
- Popularity: No U.S. ranking exists for Doroteya. Federal birth data starts counting at five babies a year, and this one stays under that line.
Ekaterina
Ekaterina is the Russian route to Catherine, read as eternally pure and immaculate, on the Greek root katharos, meaning unsullied and innocent. Five syllables sound like a lot until you remember that Katya, Katia, and Kate are all sitting inside it.
- Origin: Russian, Greek
- Meaning: Pure
- Pronunciation: Eh-Kaa-tiy-RIY-Naa
- Variations: Yekaterina, Katerina
- Namesakes: Ekaterina Anikeeva, a Russian water polo player and bronze medalist at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Ekaterina Kalinina, the first lady of the Soviet Union between 1938 and 1946.
- Popularity: In U.S. birth data Ekaterina ranked 5,970th in 2025, off a 2000 high of 3,351st.
Elvira
Elvira is built on the Old German Alverat, usually read as elf counsel. It stayed in steady use around Scandinavia long after it faded elsewhere. In the United States the name carries a slightly gothic reputation. Some parents will consider that a feature rather than a drawback.
- Origin: Russian, German
- Meaning: Elf counsel
- Pronunciation: Ahl-VAEY-raa
- Variations: Elvirah, Elvyra
- Namesakes: Elvira Kralj, a Slovenian actress and a Prešeren laureate in 1969. Elvira Navarro, a Spanish writer and winner of the Jaén Novel Award.
- Popularity: American parents put Elvira at 1,715th in 2025; its best year on record was 1914, at 254th.
Esfir
Esfir is the obscure Russian-Jewish form of Esther, carrying star-like from Persian; a link to Ishtar, the Babylonian goddess of love, even gives it the reading Russian goddess. It is unusual enough that a daughter would likely be the only Esfir she ever meets.
- Origin: Russian, Hebrew
- Meaning: Star
- Pronunciation: EHZ-Fer
- Variations: Yesfir
- Popularity: No U.S. ranking exists for Esfir. Federal birth data starts counting at five babies a year, and this one stays under that line.
Eudoxia
Eudoxia comes from the Greek Eudokia, which meant she whose judgment is good. The daughter of the Roman emperor Valentinian III carried it. So did a Grand Princess of Moscow, whose story gave it lasting weight in Russia. It is heavy, old, and unmistakably imperial.
- Origin: Russian, Greek
- Meaning: Splendor
- Pronunciation: Yuw-DOH-siy-Ah
- Variations: Eudokia, Eudocia
- Namesakes: Eudoxia of Moscow, a 15th-century Grand princess of Moscow and wife of Dmitry Donskoy.
- Popularity: Eudoxia sits below the five-births-a-year cutoff the U.S. uses before it will publish a name, so there is no American ranking to quote.
Eva
Eva is the widely traveled form of Eve, meaning living one in Hebrew, and it also reads as mother of life. Three letters do a lot of work here: it is short, warm, and pronounceable in nearly every European language a family might use.
- Origin: Russian, Hebrew
- Meaning: Life
- Pronunciation: IY-vah
- Variations: Evah, Evaa
- Namesakes: Eva Mendes, an American actress known for Training Day (2001). Eva Perón (known as Evita), the First Lady of Argentina from 1946 until 1952.
- Popularity: In U.S. birth data Eva ranked 134th in 2025, off a 1913 high of 50th.
Evgenia
Evgenia is the feminine of Eugene, taken from the Greek eugenes, meaning well-born, with the added sense of noble; it is the Russian spelling of Eugenia and stays common in Greece as well. Zhenya, the standard everyday form, softens what otherwise reads as a formal, four-syllable name. The full name scans with a rolling cadence that suits both a nursery and a name tag at the office.
- Origin: Russian, Latin
- Meaning: Well-born
- Pronunciation: Yehv-JHYEH-niy-Ah
- Variations: Evgeniya
- Namesakes: Evgenia Koutsoudi, a Greek synchronized swimmer who competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics. Evgenia Chernyshovs, a Russian pair skater and gold medalist at the 1989 World Junior Championships.
- Popularity: Evgenia last showed up in U.S. birth data in 2024, at 16,051st, after peaking at 9,771st in 1992.
Faina
Faina is the Russian spelling of the Greek Phaenna, one of the Charities. It carries the sense of shining. Readers may know it from Eowyn Ivey’s 2012 novel The Snow Child. It suits a winter baby better than almost anything else here.
- Origin: Russian
- Meaning: Shining, crown
- Pronunciation: FAIY-Naa
- Variations: Faena, Fainah
- Namesakes: Faina Ranevskaya, a Soviet actress appearing in plays by Anton Chekhov. Faina Kirschenbaum, an Israeli member of the Knesset between 2009 and 2015.
- Popularity: Faina ranked 15,661st for U.S. girls in 2025, well below the 12,850th it reached in 2003.
Feruza
Feruza is mostly an Uzbek version of Firouzeh, and in Arabic it carries gemstone and fortunate, with the connection to turquoise giving it a color as well as a meaning. It is one of the more culturally specific names on this list, and one of the prettiest to say out loud.
- Origin: Russian, Arabic
- Meaning: Sky
- Pronunciation: Feh-RUW-sah
- Namesakes: Feruza Jumaniyozova, an Uzbek pop singer known for the song “Kel Azizim.” Feruza Bobokhujaeva, a Uzbekistani footballer for the Uzbekistan women’s national team.
- Popularity: Too rare for U.S. federal name records, which print a rank only once at least five girls receive a name in the same year.
Florentina
Florentina grows from the Latin flos, meaning flower, with a secondary sense of innocence. It started as the Roman name Florentius. It doubled as a surname for someone from Florence. Four syllables of bloom, with Flora and Tina both available when that is too much.
- Origin: Russian, Italian
- Meaning: Blooming
- Pronunciation: Flaor-aen-TIY-Naa
- Variations: Florentyna
- Namesakes: Florentina Iusco, a Romanian track and field athlete who competed at the 2013 European Athletics Indoor Championships. Florentina Mosora, a Romanian-Belgian biophysicist awarded the 1981 Prix Agathon de Potter prize.
- Popularity: In U.S. birth data Florentina ranked 8,028th in 2025, off a 1928 high of 1,516th.
Gala
Gala rests on the Old French gale, meaning rejoicing, and doubles as the Russian short form of Galina, itself from the Greek Galenos; it can also point to a person from Gaul. Salvador Dali’s wife carried it, and it has kept a built-in sense of occasion ever since.
- Origin: Russian, Greek
- Meaning: Calm
- Pronunciation: GAA-Laa
- Variations: Galah, Galla
- Namesakes: Gala Dalí (born Elena Diakonova), the wife of artist Salvador Dalí. Gala (born Gala Rizzatto), an Italian pop singer whose debut album reached 3rd on the European charts.
- Popularity: American parents put Gala at 2,495th in 2025; its best year on record was 1965, at 1,056th.
Galina
Galina carries calm, quiet, and serene. In Greek myth it belonged to one of the sea nymphs. In Russian it also turns up among names that mean healer, and it stays familiar in Bulgaria and Slovenia. Gala and Galya are the natural short forms.
- Origin: Russian, Slavic
- Meaning: Calm
- Pronunciation: Gaa-LIY-Naa
- Variations: Galinah, Gallina, Galynah
- Namesakes: Galina Vishnevskaya, a Russian opera singer named a People’s Artist of the USSR in 1966. Galina Kulakova, a Soviet cross-country skier and gold medalist at the 1974 World Championships.
- Popularity: Galina ranked 11,261st for U.S. girls in 2025, well below the 6,953rd it reached in 1999.
Helga
Helga is the feminine of Helge, from the Old Norse heilagr, meaning blessed or holy; Olga is the version that took root in Russia, while Helga stayed closer to its Norse and German homes. Two hard syllables leave no ambiguity about it.
- Origin: Russian, German
- Meaning: Holy
- Pronunciation: HHEHL-Gaa
- Namesakes: Helga Dancberga, a Soviet actor and director of the Department of Culture and Arts at the Latvian Conservatoire. Helga Landauer, a Russian-American director of the documentary A Journey of Dmitry Shostakovich.
- Popularity: Helga last showed up in U.S. birth data in 2020, at 16,004th, after peaking at 1,013th in 1913.
Inessa
Inessa comes from the Greek hagnos, meaning pure, the same root behind Saint Agnes of Rome. Depending on which tradition you follow, it reads as a derivative of Agnes or of Ines. Nessa is the quick, casual version, useful for a name that otherwise takes a beat to pronounce. Soviet-French revolutionary Inessa Armand and Ukrainian triple jumper Inessa Kravets both carried the name into public life.
- Origin: Russian
- Meaning: Pure, chaste
- Pronunciation: Iy-NAYEH-saa
- Variations: Inesa, Ines, Inez
- Namesakes: Inessa Armand, a French-Russian communist politician and prominent member of the Bolsheviks. Inessa Lee, an American singer appearing on American Idol and known for the single “Gimme All (Ring My Bell).”
- Popularity: In U.S. birth data Inessa ranked 6,949th in 2025, off a 2005 high of 3,980th.
Irina
Irina is the Russian form of the Greek Eirene, the goddess who personified peace, and it also carries tranquility and harmony, the same idea Latin renders as Pax. It has barely moved in U.S. records over the past two years.
- Origin: Russian, Greek
- Meaning: Peace
- Pronunciation: Iy-RIY-naa
- Variations: Irine
- Namesakes: Irina Lăzăreanu, a Romanian-Canadian model and ambassador for Chanel. Irina Khakamada, a Russian politician who ran in the 2004 Russian presidential election.
- Popularity: American parents put Irina at 1,636th in 2025; its best year on record was 2024, at 1,562nd.
Iris
In Greek mythology Iris was the personification of the rainbow and the messenger who traveled it. It is one of the few Russian women’s names that is also a flower name, which gives it two lives at once. One syllable does all the work. No nickname is ever required.
- Origin: Russian, Greek
- Meaning: Rainbow
- Pronunciation: AY-Rihs
- Variations: Iriss, Irys, Iryss
- Namesakes: Iris Dexter, an Australian war correspondent during World War II. Iris Mittenaere, a French model, crowned Miss Universe 2016.
- Popularity: U.S. birth data has Iris at its own high right now, ranked 61st in 2025.
Isabel
Isabel grew out of Elizabeth, appearing as Elisabel in the Middle Ages before splitting off on its own, and in Hebrew terms it reads as God is my oath. It carries centuries of queens without feeling heavy, and Belle, Izzy, and Sabel are all waiting inside it.
- Origin: Russian, Spanish
- Meaning: Pledged to God
- Pronunciation: IHZ-ah-Behl
- Variations: Isabelle
- Namesakes: Isabel Gemio, a Spanish journalist appearing on the 1983 TV quiz show Los Sabios. Isabel Allende, a Chilean writer known for The House of the Spirits (1982).
- Popularity: U.S. records first list Isabel in 1880 and rank it 177th in 2025, with a peak of 83rd in 2003.
Jelena
Jelena is the Russian and South Slavic spelling of Helena, meaning bright and torch. It draws on the Greek helane and helios, for shining and sunlight. The J is pronounced like a Y. That is the one thing worth teaching a teacher on day one.
- Origin: Russian, Greek
- Meaning: Light
- Pronunciation: JHEH-leh-Nah
- Variations: Jalena
- Namesakes: Jelena Mrdjenovich, a Canadian boxer, ranked the world’s second-best female by The Ring in 2020. Jelena Rozga, a Croatian singer and member of the pop band Magazin.
- Popularity: In U.S. birth data Jelena ranked 5,030th in 2025, off a 2017 high of 2,583rd.
Karina
Karina rests on the Latin carus, meaning sweet, and gathers up pretty, nice, and love along the way; it also works as a short form of Katarina, Katrina, and Katherine. It carries a meaning nobody has to look up twice.
- Origin: Russian, Latin
- Meaning: Pure
- Pronunciation: Kah-RIY-nah
- Variations: Karinah, Karinna, Karrina
- Namesakes: Karina Pētersone, the Minister of Culture of Latvia from 1998 to 2002. Karina Ambartsumova, a Russian chess player and Woman grandmaster 2011.
- Popularity: American parents put Karina at 750th in 2025; its best year on record was 1996, at 108th.
Katya
Katya is the diminutive of Ekaterina, carrying the same sense of pure and perfect. Its Greek equivalent is Aikaterine. This is the Russian way of calling a daughter Kathy. It works perfectly well on its own, as a full legal name rather than a nickname.
- Origin: Russian, Slavic
- Meaning: Pure
- Pronunciation: KAAT-Yah
- Variations: Katija, Katia, Katiya
- Namesakes: Katya Adler, a British journalist and BBC’s Europe editor since 2014. Katya Reimann, an American fantasy writer of Wind from a Foreign Sky.
- Popularity: Katya ranked 3,614th for U.S. girls in 2025, well below the 1,314th it reached in 2000.
Kira
Kira is the feminine of the male Kir, giving it mistress and ruler, along with leader of the people and beloved. In Egyptian, Ki-Ra even reads as like Ra, so the regal associations pile up from more than one direction, and not a soft one among them.
- Origin: Russian
- Meaning: Ruler
- Pronunciation: KIH-Rah
- Namesakes: Kira Kovalenko, a Russian film director of Sofichka, awarded at the XV International Debut Film Festival Fire Spirit award. Kira Soltanovich, an American comedian known for Girls Behaving Badly.
- Popularity: U.S. records first list Kira in 1938 and rank it 385th in 2025, with a peak of 241st in 2005.
Kisa
Kisa is the Russian word for kitty or pussycat, and it is used the way an English speaker might say sweetie. It is affectionate by construction, which is either exactly what you want in a first name or exactly what you do not.
- Origin: Russian
- Meaning: Kitten
- Pronunciation: KIY-Saa
- Variations: Kisah, Kisha
- Popularity: Kisa last showed up in U.S. birth data in 2023, at 9,322nd, after peaking at 2,768th in 1978.
Kristina
Kristina is the spelling of Christina used by Russians, Germans, and Slavs, meaning Christian woman and follower of Christ. It is a classic that has never needed defending. Kris, Tina, and Stina all fall out of it without effort. Any one of the three works comfortably at every age.
- Origin: Russian, Scandinavian
- Meaning: Follower of Christ
- Pronunciation: Krihs-TIY-naa
- Variations: Khristina
- Namesakes: Kristina Boden, an American film editor known for her work on Black Swan. Kristina Lennox-Silva, a Puerto Rican swimmer who competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
- Popularity: American parents put Kristina at 1,724th in 2025; its best year on record was 1985, at 57th.
Ksana
Ksana is the Russian nickname for Roksana, resting on the Greek xenos, which covers welcoming, hospitality, stranger, and guest, and it shows up across Russia, Ukraine, and Greece. The opening consonant cluster is the only thing that will slow an English speaker down.
- Origin: Russian
- Meaning: Praise be to God
- Pronunciation: K-SAE-nah
- Variations: Ksanna, Ksena
- Popularity: Ksana last showed up in U.S. birth data in 2022, at 16,616th, after peaking at 16,616th in 2022.
Ksenia
Ksenia is the Russian variation of Xenia, carrying hospitality, stranger, and guest. It can be read as wanderer or even outlander. That gives it an edge softer names lack. Kseniya and Ksenija are the alternate spellings you will meet most often.
- Origin: Russian
- Meaning: Wanderer
- Pronunciation: K-SAYEH-nay-Ah
- Variations: Ksenija, Kseniya
- Namesakes: Ksenia Sukhinova, a Russian model crowned Miss World 2008. Ksenia Smetanenko, a Russian ice dancer and the 1997 Golden Spin of Zagreb champion.
- Popularity: U.S. records first list Ksenia in 1955 and rank it 6,448th in 2025, with a peak of 4,307th in 2016.
Lelya
Lelya is a Russian pet form covering Alexandra, Helen, Helga, and Lilian all at once, and it also carries pledged to God; in Slavic mythology, Lelya was the goddess of springtime. For a name that means lily, that is a fitting resume.
- Origin: Russian
- Meaning: Lily
- Pronunciation: LEHL-iy-Ah
- Popularity: Lelya sits below the five-births-a-year cutoff the U.S. uses before it will publish a name, so there is no American ranking to quote.
Lena
Lena carries bright, shining, and illumination, and works as the Russian short form of Helen. Elsewhere it picks up woman from Magdala in Hebrew and torch in Persian. It has stayed in U.S. birth data continuously since 1880. Actress Lena Olin and singer Lena Horne have both carried it well.
- Origin: Russian, Scandinavian
- Meaning: Ray of light
- Pronunciation: LYEH-Naa
- Variations: Lina, Linah
- Namesakes: Lena Olin, a Swedish actress appearing in The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988). Lena Horne, an American entertainer who first appeared at Cotton Club in New York City.
- Popularity: American parents put Lena at 279th in 2025; its best year on record was 1913, at 73rd.
Lia
Lia means relaxed and gentle in Italian, and elsewhere it reads as bearer of good news. It is also the landing point for a long list of longer names, from Julia, Cecilia, and Amelia to Talia, Cornelia, and Ophelia, with no wasted motion once it stands alone.
- Origin: Russian, Hebrew
- Meaning: I am with God
- Pronunciation: LIY-aa
- Variations: Leia
- Namesakes: Lia Nici-Townend, an English Assistant Government Whip from September to October 2022.
- Popularity: Lia ranked 200th for U.S. girls in 2025, well below the 188th it reached in 2024.
Lidia
Lidia comes from the Greek ludia, meaning noble one, and doubles as from Lydia, the ancient region in Asia Minor. The i spelling is the Slavic and Italian route to the same name English speakers know as Lydia.
- Origin: Russian, Greek
- Meaning: Beautiful one
- Pronunciation: LIYD-Yaa
- Variations: Lydia
- Namesakes: Lidia Bastianich, an Italian-American celebrity chef and host of Lidia’s Kitchen. Lidia Chojecka, a Polish runner and bronze medalist at the 1999 World Indoor Championships.
- Popularity: U.S. records first list Lidia in 1888 and rank it 1,589th in 2025, with a peak of 794th in 1937.
Lilia
Lilia grows from the Latin lilium, meaning lily, and the same meaning holds in Hawaiian. Lilies have carried associations of purity and perfection for centuries, which the name inherits. Used as a nickname for Elizabeth it also picks up God is abundance. Either reading suits a spring baby well.
- Origin: Russian, Latin
- Meaning: Lily
- Pronunciation: LIHL-iy-Ah
- Variations: Lillia, Lilah
- Namesakes: Lilia Izquierdo, a Cuban volleyball player, and gold medalist at the 2000 summer Olympics. Lilia Luciano, an American national correspondent at CBS News.
- Popularity: In U.S. birth data Lilia ranked 859th in 2025, off a 1928 high of 752nd.
Ludmila
Ludmila is built from the Slavic lud, meaning people, and mila, meaning dear, so it reads as beloved of the people or favor of the people, a meaning Saint Ludmila, a 10th-century Bohemian duchess, carried as its most famous bearer. Mila and Luda both live inside it, which makes a long name manageable.
- Origin: Russian, Slavic
- Meaning: Beloved of the people
- Pronunciation: Lyuwd-MIYL-ah
- Variations: Ludmilla, Lyudmila, Ljudmila
- Namesakes: Ludmila Semenyaka, a Soviet prima ballerina with the Bolshoi Ballet in 1972. Ludmila Ferber, a Brazilian Christian singer who released the album Marcas in 1996.
- Popularity: American parents put Ludmila at 14,235th in 2025; its best year on record was 1916, at 2,323rd.
Lusha
Lusha is also an Indian boy’s name meaning saffron and yellow, and it may rest on the Latin Luceria. That makes it one of the more genuinely unisex options among Russian female names, and one of the warmest in sound.
- Origin: Russian, Hindi
- Meaning: Light
- Pronunciation: LUW-sha
- Popularity: Lusha last showed up in U.S. birth data in 1972, at 9,045th, after peaking at 9,045th in 1972.
Margarita
Margarita takes its meaning from the Greek margaritari, meaning pearl. It is at home in Albanian, Greek, Bulgarian, and Russian alike. The traditional nickname is Daisy. That sounds like a leap until you learn the flower is called marguerite in French.
- Origin: Russian, Greek
- Meaning: Pearl
- Pronunciation: Maar-gaa-RIY-Taa
- Variations: Margaretta, Margherita
- Namesakes: Margarita López, a member of the New York City Council from 1998 to 2005. Margarita Zavala, the First Lady of Mexico from 2006 to 2012.
- Popularity: U.S. records first list Margarita in 1880 and rank it 1,893rd in 2025, with a peak of 334th in 1950.
Mariya
Mariya is the Russian and Slavic spelling of Maria, so it inherits the same complicated meanings: beloved, but also bitter and rebellious. It began with the Hebrew Mirjam. It has stayed in use somewhere in the world every year since. The y makes it look Slavic on paper while sounding entirely familiar.
- Origin: Russian, Slavic
- Meaning: Beloved
- Pronunciation: Maa-RIY-yaa
- Variations: Mariyah, Marija, Maria
- Namesakes: Mariya Gabriel, a Bulgarian Member of the European Parliament from 2009 to 2017. Mariya Muzychuk, a Ukrainian Women’s World Chess Champion from 2015 to 2016.
- Popularity: Mariya sat at 3,879th among U.S. girls in 2025, down from its 2009 peak of 1,589th.
Marta
Marta traces back through the Roman male name Martinus and stands as another form of Martha, meaning lady, while also serving as a Russian, Ukrainian, and Bulgarian variation of Mary, picking up mistress along the way. Its hard consonants leave nothing decorative about it.
- Origin: Russian, Aramaic
- Meaning: Lady
- Pronunciation: MAAR-Taa
- Variations: Martha
- Namesakes: Marta Fascina, an Italian member of the Chamber of Deputies since 2018. Marta Kristen, a Norwegian-born American actress appearing in Lost in Space (1965 to 1968).
- Popularity: Marta ranks 2,056th among U.S. girls in 2025, a long way from the 384th it reached in 1950.
Maya
Maya carries dream and illusion in Sanskrit, wisdom in its Russian use, and courage and bravery for the Maori people. It is one of the many Russian forms that circle back to Mary. Few names this short travel this far. Maya Angelou carried it into American letters as well.
- Origin: Russian, Sanskrit
- Meaning: Wisdom
- Pronunciation: MAA-Yaa
- Variations: Maia, Maiyah, Mya
- Namesakes: Maya Angelou, an American writer best known for I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969). Maya D. Wiley, an American mayoral candidate who ran in the 2021 New York City Democratic mayoral primary.
- Popularity: Maya ranked 62nd for U.S. girls in 2025, well below the 49th it reached in 2023.
Mila
Mila means gracious and lovely, and it traditionally covers Slavic names beginning with Mil; read as a short form of Milena it also picks up industrious and hardworking. Actress Mila Kunis carried it into wide American recognition.
- Origin: Russian, Slavic
- Meaning: Gracious
- Pronunciation: MIY-Laa
- Variations: Milah, Milla, Millah
- Namesakes: Mila Horvat, a Croatian TV host on Croatian Radiotelevision (HRT). Mila Kunis, a Ukrainian-American actress appearing on the Fox television series That ’70s Show (1998 to 2006).
- Popularity: U.S. records first list Mila in 1881 and rank it 43rd in 2025, with a peak of 14th in 2018. Across the last 10 years of births against the 10 before them, it is the fastest riser on this list, up about 237 percent.
Miroslava
Miroslava is built from the Slavic miru, meaning peace, and slava, meaning glory, giving one who celebrates peace and one who celebrates the world. The male form, Miroslav, belonged to a 10th-century king of Croatia. Mira is the obvious everyday shortening. It softens a formal name into something easy to call across a kitchen.
- Origin: Russian, Slavic
- Meaning: Peaceful glory
- Pronunciation: Miy-raa-SLAA-Vaa
- Variations: Miroslawa, Myroslava
- Namesakes: Miroslava Stern, a Czechoslovak-Mexican actress appearing in The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz in 1955. Miroslava Jánošíková, a Czechoslovak judoka and bronze medalist at the 1994 European Judo Championships.
- Popularity: In U.S. birth data Miroslava ranked 6,259th in 2025, off a 1955 high of 2,923rd.
Mischa
Mischa began as a male nickname for Michael, carrying who is like God, and has been used mostly for girls through the 21st century, with the diminutive Mishka offering a way to call a daughter your bear cub. It sits comfortably on anyone, which is the point of a unisex name.
- Origin: Russian
- Meaning: Bee, honey
- Pronunciation: MIY-Shaa
- Variations: Micha, Misha
- Namesakes: Mischa Barton, a British-American actress appearing in The Sixth Sense (1999).
- Popularity: American parents put Mischa at 5,059th in 2025; its best year on record was 2008, at 1,769th.
Nadezhda
Nadezhda comes from the Slavic nadezhda, meaning hope, and takes its place among names that mean hope. Russian girls who carry it almost always go by Nadia day to day. The full form is a mouthful in English, but it is the one that holds the meaning.
- Origin: Russian, Slavic
- Meaning: Hope
- Pronunciation: Nah-DEZH-da
- Variations: Nadzeya, Nadzieja
- Namesakes: Nadezhda Alliluyeva, the wife of Joseph Stalin. Nadezhda Teffi, a Russian humorist writer who contributed to the magazine Novyi Satirikon.
- Popularity: Nadezhda ranked 14,395th for U.S. girls in 2025, well below the 7,419th it reached in 2010.
Nadia
Nadia is the short form of the Russian Nadezhda, and it may also connect to the Arabic Nadiyyah, meaning fragile. In American records it is far more common than the full Russian original. Three syllables, one soft landing, and it has never needed a nickname of its own.
- Origin: Russian, Slavic
- Meaning: Hope
- Pronunciation: NAH-diy-Ah
- Variations: Nadja, Nadya, Nadiya, Nadiyah, Nadjah,
- Namesakes: Nadia Comăneci, a Romanian gymnast and a five-time Olympic gold medalist. Nadia Farès, a French actress appearing in The Crimson Rivers.
- Popularity: U.S. records first list Nadia in 1911 and rank it 565th in 2025, with a peak of 178th in 2005.
Natalya
Natalya means both birthday and Christmas, and it is the Russian spelling of Natalia. It gets grouped with Natasha, which is the pet form nearly every Natalya answers to. For a daughter born on Christmas Day, the sense of natal day makes it almost too neat.
- Origin: Russian, Slavic
- Meaning: Christmas
- Pronunciation: Naa-TAAL-Yaa
- Variations: Natalia, Nathalia
- Namesakes: Natalya Sumska, a Ukrainian actress awarded the Shevchenko National Prize in 2008. Natalya Estemirova, a Russian activist and board member of the Russian human rights organization memorial.
- Popularity: In U.S. birth data Natalya ranked 2,427th in 2025, off a 2009 high of 748th.
Nikita
Nikita comes from the Greek niketas, meaning conqueror, on the root nike, meaning victory. In Russia it has traditionally been a boy’s name, which is why it reads as unisex here and masculine there. Strong meaning, soft sound, and a spelling nobody stumbles over.
- Origin: Russian, Greek
- Meaning: Victor
- Pronunciation: Niy-KIY-taa
- Variations: Nikitah, Nikitta
- Namesakes: Nikita Howarth, New Zealand’s youngest ever Paralympian athlete for the 2012 Summer Paralympics.
- Popularity: Nikita ranks 4,524th for U.S. girls in 2025, down from the 250th it held in 1986.
Nina
Nina works as an unexpected Russian diminutive for Anne, and it has divine company elsewhere: a Babylonian goddess of the ocean and an Incan goddess of fire both carried it. In Hindi it means little girl and beautiful. Two syllables that sound the same in every language that has borrowed them.
- Origin: Russian
- Meaning: Favor, grace
- Pronunciation: NIY-Nah
- Variations: Ninna, Ninah
- Namesakes: Nina Allan, a British writer and winner of the British Science Fiction Association Award. Eunice Waymon (known as Nina Simone), an American musician known for the 1958 single “I Love You, Porgy.”
- Popularity: Nina ranked 324th for U.S. girls in 2025, well below the 148th it reached in 1980.
Odessa
Odessa is the third largest Ukrainian city, named by Catherine the Great after Homer’s Odyssey, which is where the sense of a long journey comes from. The double s gives it a hush most place-names lack. It also makes a lovely middle name when a first name is already spoken for.
- Origin: Russian, Greek
- Meaning: Long journey
- Pronunciation: Ow-DESS-ah
- Namesakes: Odessa Clay, the mother of three-time world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali. Odessa Piper, an American chef who co-founded the restaurant L’Etoile in 1976.
- Popularity: U.S. records first list Odessa in 1880 and rank it 1,197th in 2025, with a peak of 298th in 1919.
Oksana
Oksana is the mostly Ukrainian variation of the Russian Kseniya, resting on the Greek xenia, meaning hospitality, and xenos, meaning foreigner. It reads as praise God in its Slavic use. The stress on the middle syllable is what gives it its swing.
- Origin: Russian, Ukrainian
- Meaning: Praise God
- Pronunciation: Ahk-SAA-naa
- Variations: Oxana
- Namesakes: Oksana Baiul, a Ukrainian figure skater and the only Ukrainian gold medalist at the Winter Olympics. Oksana Platero, a Ukrainian dancer on Dancing with the Stars.
- Popularity: Federal data puts Oksana at 7,404th for U.S. girls in 2025, a drop from the 1,860th it hit in 1995.
Olesya
Olesya carries a girl from the forest, and it works as a short form of Oleksandra, the Ukrainian equivalent of Alexandra. It also draws on the Old Norse helgi, meaning holy and blessed. Lesya, the standard short form, is easy for English speakers to pick up even before they master the full name. Olesya pairs comfortably with short Slavic surnames, keeping the whole name easy to say in one breath.
- Origin: Russian, Scandinavian
- Meaning: Protector
- Pronunciation: Ah-LEHS-yah
- Variations: Olessia, Olesia
- Namesakes: Olesya Rostovskaya, a Russian zvon bell-ringer at the Moscow Conservatory. Olesya Kurochkina, a Russian footballer with the Russian national team.
- Popularity: Olesya last showed up in U.S. birth data in 2024, at 14,836th, after peaking at 11,381st in 2004.
Olga
Olga is the Russian form of Helga, taken from the Scandinavian Helge, and it means holy, sacred, and blessed. It is one of the clearest examples of Russian names mingling with Norse culture. Four letters, two syllables, and about a thousand years of continuous use.
- Origin: Russian, Scandinavian
- Meaning: Holy
- Pronunciation: OWL-Gaa
- Namesakes: Olga Sehnalová, a Czech Member of the European Parliament since 2009. Olga Vigil, a Cuban basketball player with the women’s national team.
- Popularity: Olga ranked 3,201st for U.S. girls in 2025, well below the 126th it reached in 1916.
Parashie
Parashie may rest on the male Pasha, a Russian form of Paul that is given to boys born on Good Friday, which is where its own meaning comes from. That makes it a natural fit for a daughter born the same day. It is genuinely rare, and it sounds like nothing else on this list.
- Origin: Russian
- Meaning: Born on Good Friday
- Pronunciation: PAH-rah-Shiy
- Variations: Parasha
- Popularity: Parashie has never reached the five-births-a-year floor the SSA requires before it will print a rank, so no U.S. number exists for it.
Paulina
Paulina is the feminine of Paul, from the Latin Paulus, meaning the little or the younger. In Russian it usually appears as Polina, and it can also work as a short form of Apollinariya, the name inspired by the god Apollo. Familiar enough to spell, uncommon enough to notice.
- Origin: Russian, Latin
- Meaning: Little
- Pronunciation: Pao-LIYN-ah
- Variations: Poleena, Pauliina
- Namesakes: Paulina Porizkova, the first Central European Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue cover girl in 1994. Paulina Rubio, a Mexican singer originally with the girl group Timbiriche from 1982 to 1991.
- Popularity: In U.S. birth data Paulina ranked 784th in 2025, off a 2002 high of 366th.
Pheodora
Pheodora can appear as Fjodora and rests on the Greek Theodora, meaning gift from God. It carries the added senses of calm and tranquil. The Ph spelling is the theatrical one, giving it a flourish plainer versions of Theodora don’t have.
- Origin: Russian
- Meaning: Gift from God
- Pronunciation: Fiy-ah-DAOR-Ah
- Variations: Phedorah, Pheodorah
- Popularity: Pheodora is rare enough that U.S. federal records carry no rank for it; the SSA only publishes a name once five girls share it in a year.
Praskovia
Praskovia comes from the Greek Paraskeve, meaning preparation or, more literally, Friday. A 2nd-century martyred saint carried it, which is how it entered Orthodox use. Outside Ukraine it is rare enough that most people will hear it as new.
- Origin: Russian, Ukrainian
- Meaning: Preparation
- Pronunciation: Prahs-KAO-viy-Ah
- Variations: Praskovya
- Namesakes: Praskovia Kovalyova-Zhemchugova, a Russian 18th-century opera singer called Russia’s first “superstar.” Praskovia Saltykova, the tsaritsa of Russia from 1684 to 1696.
- Popularity: Praskovia stays below the SSA’s five-births threshold, so U.S. birth data carries no rank for it at all.
Raisa
Raisa draws on the Greek rhadios, meaning easy-going or adaptable, and lands on rose in Russian. In Arabic it reads as princess. Raisa Gorbachev made it internationally familiar, and the name has kept her poise.
- Origin: Russian, Arabic
- Meaning: Rose
- Pronunciation: Raa-IY-saa
- Variations: Ra’isa, Raissa
- Namesakes: Raisa Bohatyriova, the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine from 2012 to 2014. Raisa Blokh, a Russian poet published in the Sovremennye Zapiski journal.
- Popularity: U.S. records first list Raisa in 1962 and rank it 4,639th in 2025, with a peak of 1,463rd in 1988.
Regina
Regina uses the Latin rex, meaning regent, and lands squarely on queen. It became one of the titles of the Virgin Mary and one of the names of Queen Elizabeth I. Three syllables that sound exactly as formal as they are.
- Origin: Russian, Latin
- Meaning: Queen
- Pronunciation: Rah-GIYN-ah
- Variations: Ragina
- Namesakes: Regina Richards, an American singer whose 1986 song “Baby Love” reached Number 10. Regina (born Irena Jalšovec), a Slovenian singer who competed in the 1996 Eurovision Song Contest.
- Popularity: Regina’s 2025 U.S. rank is 395th, a fall from the 80th it held in 1967.
Renata
Renata comes from the Latin renatus, meaning born again, and the baptismal sense has followed it through every language that uses it. It has long been popular among the Russian Tatar people, carrying the same soft landing in every version.
- Origin: Russian, Latin
- Meaning: Reborn
- Pronunciation: Reh-NAA-taa
- Namesakes: Renata Adler, an American writer-reporter for The New Yorker. Renata Fast, a Canadian ice hockey player for the Toronto Furies.
- Popularity: American parents put Renata at 481st in 2025; its best year on record was 1980, at 336th.
Roksana
Roksana is the Russian spelling of the Old Persian Roxane, and it belongs with names meaning star, carrying bright and dawn. Roxane was the Persian princess who married Alexander the Great. The k spelling is the Slavic one, and Roxy still works underneath it.
- Origin: Russian
- Meaning: Dawn
- Pronunciation: Raok-SAA-naa
- Variations: Roxana
- Namesakes: Roksana Węgiel, a Polish singer and winner of the first season of The Voice Kids in 2018. Roksana Bahramitash, an Iranian-Canadian sociologist specializing in the informal economy in the Middle East.
- Popularity: Roksana first appeared in U.S. birth data in 1994 and last showed up in 2020, when it peaked at 11,928th.
Roza
Roza is the Russian, Polish, and Hungarian spelling of the Latin Rosa, meaning rose. It carries the flower and the color at once. Four letters, one clean syllable, and it needs no help from anything longer.
- Origin: Russian, Slavic
- Meaning: Rose
- Pronunciation: ROW-Zaa
- Variations: Rosa, Rozsa
- Namesakes: Róża Herman, a Polish chess player and International Woman Master in 1950. Róza Laborfalvi, a Hungarian opera singer in the Castle Theatre of Buda and the National Theatre of Pest.
- Popularity: U.S. records first list Roza in 1916 and rank it 6,075th in 2025, with a peak of 5,037th in 1916.
Rozalina
Rozalina belongs among names that mean beautiful, with a sense of radiant attached. It descends from the German Rosalind, whose parts translate rather less romantically as gentle horse. The z spelling marks it as Russian and Bulgarian rather than Western.
- Origin: Russian, German
- Meaning: Radiant
- Pronunciation: Row-zah-LIYN-ah
- Variations: Rosalina, Rosalind
- Popularity: Rozalina appeared in U.S. birth data for the first time in 2025, ranked 16,792nd.
Sabina
Sabina is associated with Sabrina and was used for a woman of the Sabines, a tribe from the Italian peninsula. Some trace it instead to Czarina, the title given to the wife of a Russian Czar. Either way it is an old name that has never sounded old.
- Origin: Russian, Slavic
- Meaning: Sabine
- Pronunciation: Saa-BIY-naa
- Variations: Sabinah, Sabyna
- Namesakes: Sabine Bergmann-Pohl, the president of the People’s Chamber of East Germany from April to October 1990. Sabine Quindou, a French journalist who co-hosted the series C’est pas sorcier.
- Popularity: Sabina holds 2,579th in the 2025 U.S. data, off the 704th it reached back in 1916.
Sanya
Sanya is a traditional pet form of Aleksandra, so it carries the same Greek roots: alexo, meaning to defend, and andros, meaning man. It is also associated with the Arabic Saniyya, meaning brilliance and radiance. Two syllables that work as a full name without sounding like a shortcut.
- Origin: Russian, Arabic
- Meaning: Defender of man
- Pronunciation: SAEN-Yaa
- Variations: Sania, Sanyah, Sanyia
- Namesakes: Sanya Mateyas, a Croatian-American singer for the hard-rock band Duda Did It. Sanya Richards-Ross, a Jamaican-American track and field athlete and the 2012 Olympic champion.
- Popularity: Sanya ranked 6,512th for U.S. girls in 2025, well below the 1,924th it reached in 2007.
Sasha
Sasha is the pet name for Alexandra and occasionally turns up as a surname. In Russia it leans male, while in English-speaking countries it has settled firmly among girls. Sacha and Sascha are the two spellings parents run into most often when comparing the name across languages.
- Origin: Russian
- Meaning: Defender
- Pronunciation: SAA-Shaa
- Variations: Sacha, Sascha
- Namesakes: Sasha Alexander, an American actress appearing in the series NCIS. Sasha Pieterse-Sheaffer, a South African-American actress known for the series Pretty Little Liars.
- Popularity: U.S. records first list Sasha in 1956 and rank it 684th in 2025, with a peak of 147th in 1988.
Sofiya
Sofiya rests on the Greek Sophia, meaning knowledge, teaching, and wisdom. Early Christians used it for the Holy Spirit before it was first given to a girl in the 4th century. The y spelling is the Russian one, and Sonya and Sonechka both descend from it.
- Origin: Russian, Greek
- Meaning: Wisdom
- Pronunciation: Sow-FIY-yaa
- Variations: Sofia, Sophia, Sofya
- Namesakes: Sofiya Bozhanova, a Bulgarian jumper and bronze medalist at the 1991 IAAF World Indoor Championships. Sofiya Kalistratova, a Soviet lawyer who defended dissidents in the 1970s.
- Popularity: Sofiya’s 2025 U.S. rank was 3,165th, off the 2,325th it reached just a year earlier in 2024.
Sonya
Sonya is another route into Sofiya and Sophia, carrying the same sense of wisdom. Its most famous bearer is the Sonya of Tolstoy’s War and Peace. Short, warm, and unmistakably Russian without being difficult.
- Origin: Russian, Slavic
- Meaning: Wisdom
- Pronunciation: SAON-Yah
- Variations: Sonia, Sonja
- Namesakes: Sonya Koshkina (born Ksenia Vasilenko), a Ukrainian journalist and editor-in-chief of the Livyi Bereh publication.
- Popularity: Sonya’s 2025 U.S. rank sits at 1,939th, well below the 114th it reached in 1967.
Stefaniya
Stefaniya is the Russian female form of Stephen, from the Greek Stefanos, meaning garland, wreath, and reward. It is the old-world version of Stephanie, and it sounds it. Every familiar Stephanie nickname, from Steffi on down, still applies.
- Origin: Russian, Greek
- Meaning: Crown
- Pronunciation: Steh-FAAN-Yaa
- Variations: Stefania, Stephanie
- Popularity: Stefaniya last showed up in U.S. birth data in 2018, at 17,831st, after peaking at 17,831st in 2018.
Svetlana
Svetlana uses the Slavic root svet, which belongs with names that mean light and also carries holy. It is a comparatively young name, coined through the work of the 19th-century Russian poets Alexander Vostokov and Vasily Zhukovsky. Sveta, the everyday form, gets used almost as often as the full name itself. Olympic gymnast Svetlana Khorkina carried the name through a decorated career that made it familiar well outside Russia.
- Origin: Russian
- Meaning: Shining
- Pronunciation: Sveht-LAA-naa
- Variations: Swetlana, Svetlanna
- Namesakes: Svetlana Kuzina, a Russian water polo player and bronze medalist at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Svetlana Medvedeva, the First Lady of Russia from 2008 to 2012.
- Popularity: Svetlana entered U.S. birth data in 1967 and now ranks 6,520th in 2025, down from a 2007 peak of 3,327th.
Taisiya
Taisiya uses the Greek root thea, meaning divine. It was inspired by Thaïs, the 4th-century Greek courtesan and companion to Alexander the Great. The name is delicate on the page and surprisingly firm when spoken.
- Origin: Russian
- Meaning: Divine goddess
- Pronunciation: Tey-IY-syaa
- Variations: Taisia
- Popularity: Taisiya was last seen in U.S. records in 2024 at 13,335th, well off the 10,176th it reached in 2013.
Tamara
Tamara comes from the biblical Tamar and appears in Arabic as Tamra, referring to the date or the palm tree. That gives it an earthy, sun-warmed quality most royal-sounding names do not have. Tammy and Mara both come standard, giving parents two short options instead of one. Tamara pairs well with short, one-syllable surnames, keeping the balance of the full name intact.
- Origin: Russian, Arabic
- Meaning: Date palm
- Pronunciation: Tah-MAAR-ah
- Variations: Tamarah, Tamarra
- Namesakes: Tamara Duisenova, the Minister of Labour and Social Protection of Kazakhstan since 2022. Tamara Toumanova, a Georgian-American prima ballerina who debuted at the Paris Opera.
- Popularity: Tamara sits at 1,816th among U.S. girls in 2025, down from the 64th it once held in 1974.
Tatiana
Tatiana originated with the Latin Tatianus. King Tatius was a Roman ruler of the Sabines, though the name is now better known through its Russian and literary life. Tanya is the pet form that comes with it, and it does most of the daily work.
- Origin: Russian, Slavic
- Meaning: Fairy queen
- Pronunciation: Tae-tiy-AEN-ah
- Variations: Tatyana, Tatijana
- Namesakes: Tatiana Stefanidou, a Greek TV host for the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation. Tatiana Weiss, a Russian weightlifter and silver medalist at the 2006 World Weightlifting Championships.
- Popularity: Tatiana ranked 1,106th for U.S. girls in 2025, well below the 213th it reached in 1999.
Tavisha
Tavisha means heaven in Hindi and also carries strong and brave. It is the feminine form of Tavish, itself a version of Thomas. Three syllables that sound gentle and mean anything but.
- Origin: Russian, Hindi
- Meaning: Heaven
- Pronunciation: Tah-VIY-sha
- Variations: Tavish
- Namesakes: Tavisha Wolfgarth-Simons, a Japanese-German-American comics artist with illustrations appearing on Nickelodeon.
- Popularity: Federal name data skips Tavisha entirely, since the SSA needs at least five girls sharing a name in one year before it prints a rank.
Ulyana
Ulyana came down from the Roman Juliana and is the thoroughly Russian route to Julia, meaning youthful. It carries the softer sense of downy as well. The opening U gives it a shape few English names share.
- Origin: Russian
- Meaning: Youthful
- Pronunciation: Uwl-iy-AEN-ah
- Variations: Uliana
- Namesakes: Ulyana Lopatkina, a Russian prima ballerina with the Mariinsky Theatre. Ulyana Gromova, a Soviet-Ukrainian member of the Young Guard resistance movement in Ukraine.
- Popularity: Ulyana currently sits at 14,796th among U.S. girls, well off the 6,026th it reached in 2017.
Valentina
Valentina descends from the Roman Valentinus, on the Latin root valens, meaning strong and brave. The meaning of healthy comes from the same place. It manages to sound both delicate and durable, which is a rare combination in five syllables.
- Origin: Russian, Latin
- Meaning: Healthy
- Pronunciation: Vaa-lehn-TIY-Naa
- Variations: Valenteena, Valentena
- Namesakes: Valentina Gardellin, an Italian basketball player who competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics. Valentina Pivnenko, a Russian politician in the Russian State Duma since 1999.
- Popularity: U.S. birth data has Valentina at its own high right now, ranked 35th in 2025. That makes it the highest-ranked name on this whole list.
Valeriya
Valeriya rests on the Latin valere, meaning to be strong, and stands as the feminine of Valerius, carrying strength and health. The iya ending is what marks it as Russian rather than Latin. Lera, the standard short form, functions almost as its own name in everyday Russian use. Valeriya carries a strong, confident sound from its first syllable, matching the meaning behind it.
- Origin: Russian, Latin
- Meaning: Brave
- Pronunciation: Vaa-LEY-riy-Ah
- Variations: Valery, Valeri
- Popularity: Valeriya ranked 17,097th for U.S. girls in 2025, well below the 12,149th it reached in 2012. It is the rarest name on this list that U.S. data still records, roughly one girl in 333,333 births.
Vanka
Vanka is an informal Russian and Slavic name based on Johanna and Joannes, making it a uniquely Russian diminutive of John, with the sense of God is merciful and favored by God. Anton Chekhov used it for his 1886 short story Vanka. It is casual by design, which is exactly why some parents like it.
- Origin: Russian, Slavic
- Meaning: God is merciful
- Pronunciation: VAENG-Kah
- Popularity: Vanka has not cleared the five-baby-a-year line the SSA sets for publishing a rank, so it shows no U.S. number.
Varvara
Varvara may look exotic, but it is simply the Russian, Greek, and Slavic version of Barbara, meaning foreigner or foreign woman. Varya, the pet form, is what most families reach for day to day. The repeated v gives Varvara a distinctive sound on a class roster where several other names may share a first letter.
- Origin: Russian, Greek
- Meaning: Stranger
- Pronunciation: Vaar-VAA-raa
- Namesakes: Varvara Golitsyn, a Russian Empire lady-in-waiting for Catherine the Great. Varvara Zelenskaya, the most successful Russian female World Cup ski racer.
- Popularity: Varvara’s 2025 U.S. rank of 10,854th trails the 7,211th it reached back in 2016.
Venera
Venera comes from the Latin veneris and is the Russian word for the goddess Venus, which gives it beloved. The Soviet Venera program sent probes toward Venus between 1961 and 1984, so the name carries a space-age association alongside the classical one.
- Origin: Russian
- Meaning: Beloved
- Pronunciation: Veh-NEH-rah
- Variations: Vanora
- Namesakes: Venera Chernyshova, a Soviet biathlete and silver medalist at the 1987 World Championships. Venera Lumani, an Albanian singer and winner of the second season of The Voice of Albania.
- Popularity: Venera hasn’t shown up in U.S. birth data since 1953, when it ranked 5,008th, down from a 1918 peak of 2,805th.
Viktoria
Viktoria rests on the Latin victoria, meaning victory, and it also reads as winner and conqueror. The k spelling is the Slavic one. Vika, the ready-made nickname waiting inside it, is common enough that some families use it as the primary name. Viktoria pairs naturally with strong, single-syllable middle names, keeping the rhythm of the full name balanced.
- Origin: Russian, Latin
- Meaning: Victory, triumph
- Pronunciation: Vihk-TOW-riy-Ah
- Variations: Victoria, Victoreah, Victoriah, Viktorija
- Namesakes: Viktoria Listunova, a Russian artistic gymnast and gold medalist at the 2020 Summer Olympics. Victoria Swarovski, an Austrian pop singer, and heiress to the Swarovski crystal empire.
- Popularity: Viktoria ranked 2,892nd for U.S. girls in 2025, well below the 1,838th it reached in 2015.
Yana
Yana grew out of the given name Jana, which goes back to John, and carries God is gracious and he answers. As the Russian form of Jane it also picks up an association with the goddess of the moon. Four letters, two syllables, and no pronunciation lesson required.
- Origin: Russian, Hebrew
- Meaning: God is gracious
- Pronunciation: YAE-Nah
- Namesakes: Yana Marinova, a Bulgarian actress and host of “The Voice Bulgaria” since 2015. Yana Dobrovolskaya, a Russian model who won Miss Russia 2016.
- Popularity: Yana’s own U.S. record begins in 1955, and its 2025 rank of 2,409th trails the 1,759th it reached in 1956.
Yevdokiya
Yevdokiya carries good judgment, to appear well, and good fame. It appears in Greek as Evdokia, meaning she whose fame or judgment is good. It is an old, formal name that Russian speakers usually shorten to Dunya.
- Origin: Russian, Greek
- Meaning: Good judgment
- Pronunciation: Yehv-DOW-kiy-Ah
- Variations: Evdokiya, Evdokia
- Namesakes: Yevdokiya Bershanskaya, a Russian commander and the only woman awarded the Order of Suvorov. Yevdokiya Nosal, a Russian commander awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union in 1943.
- Popularity: Yevdokiya sits outside U.S. federal name records altogether, short of the five-births-a-year line the SSA requires to publish a rank.
Yulia
Yulia derives from the Latin Julius, meaning youthful, with the added sense of Jove’s child. It is the Russian and Ukrainian spelling of a name English speakers know as Julia. Same sound, different silhouette on paper.
- Origin: Russian, Latin
- Meaning: Youthful
- Pronunciation: YUW-Lyah
- Variations: Yuliia, Yuliya
- Namesakes: Yulia Tymoshenko, the Prime Minister of Ukraine from 2007 to 2010. Yulia Sachkov, an Israeli kickboxer, and the 2019 World Kickboxing Champion.
- Popularity: American parents put Yulia at 4,542nd in 2025; its best year on record was 2014, at 4,175th.
Zhanna
Zhanna comes from the Greek Iōánnēs, a form of John, meaning graced by Yahweh. Like many Russian names for girls it is a Slavic take on a name the rest of Europe already had, in this case Jeanne. The zh opening is the only part that needs explaining.
- Origin: Russian, Greek
- Meaning: God is gracious
- Pronunciation: ZAHN-aa
- Variations: Zanna, Zana
- Namesakes: Zhanna Agalakova, a Russian journalist awarded the Medal of the Order “For Merit to the Fatherland” in 2006. Zhanna Bichevskaya, a Russian folk musician and Voice of Russia radio host.
- Popularity: Zhanna ranked 14,923rd for U.S. girls in 2025, well below the 11,766th it reached in 2016.
Zoya
Zoya is the Russian variation of Zoe and belongs with names that mean life. It is used across Belarus, Ukraine, and Bulgaria as well. Four letters and a soft landing, with more character than the more familiar spelling. Say it ZOW-Yaa, with the weight on the first syllable. Iranian-Armenian writer Zoya Pirzad used it on the cover of I Will Turn Off the Lights, and German figure skater Zoya Douchine took national silver in 2000 under the same name. Zoyah is the closest spelling variant, for parents who want a little more flourish.
- Origin: Russian, Greek
- Meaning: Life
- Pronunciation: ZOW-Yaa
- Variations: Zoyah
- Namesakes: Zoya Pirzād, an Iranian-Armenian writer of the book I Will Turn Off the Lights (2002). Zoya Douchine, a German figure skater and the 2000 national silver medalist.
- Popularity: U.S. records first list Zoya in 1963 and rank it 1,002nd in 2025, with a peak of 792nd in 2022.
